Machine for surfacing butchers&#39; blocks.



F. M. BROWN & W. WECHTER.

MACHINE FOR SURFACING BUTCHERS' BLOCKS.

APPUICATION FILED MAR. 6. 1916.

1 ,205,322. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET VI F.'M. BROWN & W. WECHTER.

MACHINE FOR SURFACING BUTCHERS BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1916.

1,205,322. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 $HEETSSHEET Z- and (lNTTE J FRANK M. BROWN AND WILLIAM WEGHTER, OF SALEM, OREGON.

MACHINE FOR SURFACING BUTCHERS BLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1.916.

Application filed March 6, 1916. Serial No. 82,453.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK M. BROWN and WILLIAM WEGHTER, citizens of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Marion and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Surfacing Butchers Blocks; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

This invention'relates to improvements in portable surfacing tools and more particularly to tools for removing or polishing surface portions of wooden or metallic objects.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a simply constructed machine of this character which can be very quickly clamped to an ordinary butchers block or similar articleto readily remove the surface thereof, and yet which can be transported from place to place very easily.

- WVith this general object in view, our invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of a meat block having our improved surfacing means attached thereto, parts of'the block and the machine being broken out; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. t is a similar view taken on the line 4 l of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the brackets.

In its preferred embodiment, our invention comprises a frame adapted primarily to be secured to a butchers block B, which is formed of a pair of longitudinally extending substantially parallel track rails 1 and l suitably supported in brackets 2 temporarily fastened to the sides of the block B, and upon which an additional pair of tracks 3 are movable, said last mentioned tracks carrying the cutter for surfacing the top of the block B. A pair of brackets 2 is preferably attached to each opposite side of the block by means of the screws 4 or other fastening elements which pass through the attaching feet 5 of the right angular portion of the brackets, the horizontal part of the right angular portions of the brackets extending laterally outward from the meat block and having the U-shaped heads 6 formed thereon. The track rails l and 1 are disposed between the upright jaws 7 of the heads 6 and are adjusted vertically by means of the adjusting screws 8 which are threaded through apertures in the bases of said U-shaped heads, and are clamped therein by means of the clamping screws 9 which are preferably disposed in the outer jaws of the heads. By this arrangement, the rails 1 and 1 may be readily raised or lowered as desired for a purpose which will hereinafter appear, and when disposed in this adjusted position, may be securely clamped in the brackets by means of the enlarged heads on the clamping screws 9.

Since one of the main objects of the invention is to provide a machine which can be readily transported from place to place, the track rails 1 and 1 each comprise a strip of wood for the sake of lightness. Each of these strips is preferably laminated to prevent the wooden track rails from warping out of shape, the thin strips of wood composing these rails being preferably arranged vertically and connected in any suitable manner. As shown in the drawings, each of the rails l and 1 is substantially rectangular in cross section and provided on its upper edge with a plate 10 which may also be formed of wood or of light metal as desired, but preferably the latter to prevent wear.

As hereinbefore mentioned, the tracks 3 slide on these rails 1 and 1 to dispose'the cutter over various parts of the block B, and in order to guide said tracks 3 upon the rails l and l, the plate 10 on the rail 1 is provided with a longitudinally extending rib 11 which is normally disposed in a guide groove 12 formed in the under side of the tracks 3. This rib is formed on only one of the plates 10, as the machine is designed to be used on various sizes ofmeat blocks, and therefore the rails l and 1 will be spaced different distances apart at difierent times. The groove 12 may be provided with a channel-shaped wear plate 13 to receive the rib 11 if it is desired or becomes necessary.

' The tracks 3 are preferably spaced apart by means of the spacing blocks is through which and the ends of the rectangular bars forming the tracks, clamping bolts 15 are passed. This pair of spaced apart tracks 3 is designed to support a motor carriage 16 upon which a motor M is mounted, the shaft S thereof being disposed in a vertical plane and extended below the rectangular plate 17 through an aperture therein, said plate directly supporting the weight of said motor on the tracks 3. This plate with the motor is moved longitudinally of the tracks 3 by means of a handle 19 and is held in operative position thereon by a depending guide block 18 which extends from the under side of said plate 17 between the spaced apart tracks, said guide block being apertured to receive the vertical shaft S.

WVhile we have shown an electric motor M i for rotating the shaft S upon the lower end of which a suitably formed rotating cutter 20 is disposed, it is obvious that any other preferred operating means may be used. The cutter 20 is preferably secured to the annular flange 21 which extends from a col lar 2,2 fixed to the shaft S by means of set screws 23. \Ve do not desire to limit ourselves to any particular type of cutter 20, but have found that one constructed with two outside and one inside cutters, which will plane the top of the block as well as removing a portion thereof, to be the most advantageous.

After the brackets 2 have been secured to the opposite sides of the meat block 13, the clamping screws 9 are loosened and the track rails 1 and 1 adjusted vertically by means of the screws 8 so as to dispose the cutter 20 in correct position to remove the necessary portion of the top of the meat block. Then this has been accomplished, the rails may be again clamped in the heads of the brackets by means of the screws 9; then the device is in position to be operated. After the current has been turned on and the motor started, the horizontally rotating cutter 20 may be forced into the wood of the block by moving the motor carriage longitudinally of the tracks 3, and when moved Copies of this patent may sufficiently in this direction, the carriage and the tracks 3 may both be moved longitudinally of the rails 1, thus giving the cutter a movement in two directions, and permitting the same, if necessary, to be moved in this 'manner simultaneously. After the cutter has removed a sufiicient surface of the block, the device may be readily dismounted, and when disassembled, can be transported to the next butcher shop where it is necessary to re-surface the block.

It is obvious that the use of this invention need not be limited to the re-surfacing of butchers blocks, but can be very readily modified for use in surfacing metal articles or polishing the same.

We claim V In a device of the class described, a pair of brackets to be temporarily secured to opposite sides of a butchers block, each comprising a right angular member, the vertical leg thereof forming an attaching portion, a U-shaped head on the end of the horizontal leg of the member, a vertically adjustable screw in the base of said head, and a clamping screw in one jaw, laminated track rails secured in each of said heads by said screws, the laminated strips of said rails being disposed vertically, a wear plate secured to the upper edge of each rail connecting the edges of said strips composing the same, a longitudinally extending rib on one of said plates, an additional track slidable on said track rails, a wear plate on said additional track adjacent the opposite end for engagement with the other track rail, and a cutter operable on said additional track.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK M. BROWVN. WILLIAM WECHTER.

lVitnesses V JOHN W. SOHALLER, PAUL M. SIMS.

Washington, D. G.

be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 7 

